Celtics broadcaster says female referee should ''go back to the kitchen''

[MaineDem]

Celtics broadcaster offers on-air apology for sexist remark

BOSTON--Boston Celtics radio analyst Cedric Maxwell apologized on the air for saying that a female referee should ''go back to the kitchen'' after he disagreed with one of her calls.

Maxwell made the comment during the Celtics' 77-72 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday. He subsequently said ''Go in there and make me some bacon and eggs, would you?'' in reference to referee Violet Palmer.

''If I said anything that might have been insensitive or sexist in any way, then I apologize because she worked extremely hard to get where she is now, end of quote,'' Maxwell said before the Celtics' game against the New York Knicks on WEEI-AM, which is owned by Entercom Communications.

''This really has been a firestorm,'' he added later.

http://www.post-trib.com/sports/277434,Cornbread.article

Might have been insensitive or sexist???!! Maxwell is an ass!

[VelmaD]

1. All I've got to say...

is I better see the same level of outrage from sportscasters, the general public, and especially the NBA over this that I saw over the homophobic rant by Tim Hardaway.

[MaineDem]

2. Dream on

There's obviously NO outrage at all. I'm a bit angry over the lack of reporting on this.

[Awsi Dooger]

3. I thought he liked Cornbread

Perhaps he's merely trying to change his nickname to Bacon and Eggs Maxwell. If so, we should respect that and not overreact.

[theboss]

4. Stupid remark...However, Violet Palmer is a truly awful referee

If you watch the NBA regularly, you know going in that games she refs are not going to be easy affairs. Of course, 3/4 of the refs in the NBA are terrible.

Which leads to a larger issue...should trailblazers be exceptional or merely the norm? Mediocre is the norm for an NBA ref, and she meets that standard. However, her mediocrity combined with her sex makes her more of a target. (I actually know her name, for example, unlike most of the other bad refs).

[LisaM]

5. I was going to say, are there ANY good refs in the NBA?

The NBA is the most biassed league I have ever seen in my life. All calls are geared to super stars. I HATE that. I've even heard announcers and players acknowledge this, saying, for example, that a rookie won't "get a call" that a veteran would. Hello???? There are RULES. Who you are and how long you've played in a league should be entirely irrelevant.

And, if they are going to retain travelling as a violation, they should call it. I can't stand to watch sometimes. The refs are so capricious on what they call. Unless I have a vested interest in a certain team, I can't bear to watch the NBA, and the uneven calls are a big part of it. I think the refs (and the league) should learn that true fans want the rules applied and want all players treated evenly.

[Forkboy]

6. I stopped watching thr NBA because the refs were so bad.

And this from a NHL fan! Bless you for pointing out that traveling is still SUPPOSED to be against the rules.Also,any offensive player can dive forward into the defender when shooting and get the call.It's lame,and totally ruined the game for me.

[LisaM]

7. Don't you wish they would call diving in the NBA?

I would love it! I think in both the NHL and the NBA, the influx of European players brought the soccer habit of flopping and diving. The NHL has stemmed it, but the Europeans and South Americans dive all over the court in the NBA.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Like the women's game of the early 80s, the refereeing has not kept up with the game. nt